“And these are the names of the Children of Israel who came to Egypt…” (Shemos 1:1)

Why begin a new book—Shemos, the Book of Exile and Redemption—by repeating something we already know?

We met these names back in Parshas Vayigash. We know who came to Egypt. So what’s going on?

Chazal answer:

  • They didn’t change their names in exile. Even in Egypt, they held on to their Jewish identity.
  • Hashem called each of them by name—like stars. “He counts the stars and gives each one a name.” (Tehillim 147:4)

In a place designed to erase who you are, the Torah opens by emphasizing the opposite: You are not forgotten. You are named. You are known.

Your name is a spiritual fingerprint. It signals your mission. It holds your place in eternity.

And that’s the secret of survival in exile.

Powerful But Only External

Names are powerful. But they are also external.

Chassidus explains: your name is not your essence. It’s how you relate to the world.

  • You don’t need your name to know who you are.
  • Others need it to connect to you.

The soul works the same way.

Only a ray of your soul enters this world.
The essence remains above, untouched.

When your soul enters the body, it’s like royalty donning a disguise. The deepest part of you stays wrapped in Hashem, free, limitless.

So when the Torah says “These are the names of the Children of Israel who came to Egypt,” it’s hinting: only the names—the outer layer—went down into exile.

  • Your essence never entered Egypt.
  • Your soul never wore chains.
  • Your true self remained above the darkness.

And because your core self was never enslaved, it can never be broken.

Remember Who You Are

We all have our own Egypt.

Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s anger. Maybe it’s doubt, anxiety, pressure, or pain.

But here’s the transformational truth:

The exile isn’t happening to you.
It’s only happening to your name—your surface self.

The real you—the divine spark at your core—is still standing before Hashem, radiant, whole, undefeated.

That’s why the Jews in Egypt never gave up. That’s why they didn’t blend in. That’s why they didn’t change their names.

Because they remembered who they really were.

And so can you.

SoulWork: Reclaim Your Name

This week, try this:

  1. Take out a blank page and write your name at the top.
  2. Underneath it, write: “This name is how the world knows me. But I know who I really am: a pure, unbroken soul.”
  3. Sit with it for 2–3 minutes.
  4. Ask yourself:
    • Where have I been acting like I’m in exile?
    • What would I do differently if I remembered my essence is free?

Let this practice remind you: the world may press in on your surface—but your core is infinite. Live from there.

The Torah doesn’t start with our slavery.
It starts with our names.

Because the key to redemption is to remember:
You were never a slave in the first place.